Bombardier INC CL 600 2C10 accident near Mckellar, Tennessee, August 22, 2017
On August 22, 2017 at about 10:21 pm local time, a 2005 Bombardier INC CL 600 2C10, registered N745SK, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Mckellar, Tennessee. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 2 people were seriously injured and 9 people had minor injuries; 63 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An encounter with convective turbulence while maneuvering to avoid conflicting traffic.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2017 · about 10:21 pm local time · cases in 2017
- Place
- Mckellar, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 9 people had minor injuries; 63 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bombardier INC CL 600 2C10 700C, built 2005
- Registration
- N745SK · registry record · serial 10201
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight around 36,000 ft, the flight crew of the scheduled domestic passenger flight was instructed by air traffic control to turn for traffic separation. The crew reported that, after completing the turn, the airplane entered a cloud and encountered severe turbulence. The seat belt sign was not activated at the time of the encounter, and of the 74 passengers and crew members aboard, one passenger received serious injuries and two flight attendants and eight passengers received minor injuries. The airplane was not damaged. According to flight data recorder information, during the encounter, vertical acceleration ranged from -0.8g to 1.89g, the airplane lost about 200 ft altitude in 2 seconds, and the airspeed varied by about 15 knots. The airplane entered an 11.6° nose-down pitch attitude and rolled 26 degrees to the left. The crew reported that the flight until the encounter had been smooth. They reported that they could see the cloud build-up as they were approaching it from about 80 to 100 miles away, but that their radar did not indicate that they were going to encounter convective weather. The company's flight operations manual stated that, before entering an area of thunderstorms, pilots were required to ensure that all personnel were seated and safety belts were fastened.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Collision avoidance alert during enroute (cruise)
- Abrupt maneuver during enroute (cruise)
- Turbulence encounter during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Convective turbulence › Effect on personnel
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,541 hours in all; 1,033 in this make and model; 199 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: March 7, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,121 hours in all; 4,642 in this make and model; 265 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 36,393 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 12, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 75,000 lb
- Seats: 78
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Ge CF34 SERIES (turbofan); 36,406 hours total
- Engine 2: Ge CF34 SERIES (turbofan); 28,511 hours total
- Operator: Skywest Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: KATL Atlanta GA at 9:02 pm
- Destination: KORD Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 1 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 8 | 61 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on July 13, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Operations Specialist Report | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Operations Attachment 1- Interview Summaries | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Operations Attachment 2 - Flight Release | PDF, 29 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Operations Attachment 3 - Crew Statements | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Operations Attachment 4 - FAA Advisory Circular 120-88 | PDF, 21 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Flight Data Recorder Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Flight Data Recorder Specialist's Factual Report Attachment 1 | data file | Download |
| 8 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N745SK on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Ge CF34 SERIES 672 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Ge CF34 SERIES 672 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International · departed from
- Chicago O'Hare International · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Tennessee 1,198 since 1982 · 231 in the last ten years
- Tennessee 6,533 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/DCA17LA183.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.
